Newport News Middle Ground Light

Lighthouse · Newport News County, Virginia

Newport News Middle Ground Light is a lighthouse in Newport News County, Virginia. Virginia has 36 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 3 of them in Newport News County.

It was built in 1891, in the late 19th century, making it the 9th oldest of the 14 in Virginia with a recorded construction date; its light sits 59 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl R, 10s, with a range of about 12 nautical miles.

Status check, 2026-11: This is Virginia's oldest caisson lighthouse and is still an active light, though privately owned since 2005 and offered for sale in May 2026; its height is null because sources give 29, 35, 52, 56 or 70 ft. Newport News Middle Ground Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 1 mile away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 36.9450° N, 76.3917° W.

Key facts

Current structure built	1891
Focal height	59 ft
Light characteristic	Fl R, 10s
Range	12 nautical miles
Heritage designation	Virginia Historic Landmark
National Register	Listed
Coordinates	36.94500, -76.39167

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Nearby places

Pine Beach
ghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 3.5 mi
Nansemond River Light
lighthouse · Suffolk County · 3.7 mi
Craney Island Light
lighthouse · Portsmouth County · 4.8 mi
Lambert Point Light
lighthouse · Norfolk County · 5.9 mi
Old Point Comfort Light
lighthouse · Hampton County · 6.1 mi
Tanners Cross Roads
ghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 8 mi
White Shoal Light
lighthouse · Newport News County · 9.2 mi
Ruxton
ghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 9.2 mi
Fox Hall
ghost town · Norfolk (city) County · 9.5 mi
Thimble Shoal Light
lighthouse · Hampton County · 9.7 mi
Constances Warehouse
ghost town · Suffolk (city) County · 10.6 mi
Back River Light
lighthouse · Hampton County · 11.9 mi

Questions

Where is Newport News Middle Ground Light?

Newport News Middle Ground Light is in Newport News County, Virginia, at 36.9450, -76.3917.

How many lighthouses are in Newport News County?

Newport News County, Virginia has 3 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.